Expert Review

Metal is a gruelingly abrasive genre of music, so it makes sense the Jackson KVMG Pro Series King V isn’t just an axe in the colloquial sense guitars are often referred to. No, this thing LOOKS like a battle axe, with a wicked sharp and sleek design which takes a cue from Gibson’s original Flying V model. 24 jumbo frets ensure you’ll have no problem doing speed-metal solos without any physical restrictions, while the active EMG pickups (81 in the bridge position and 89 in the neck) are some serious tone throttlers; they’ll definitely give you the drive necessary to pull off those riffs.

Despite the fact that there’s basically nothing relaxing about listening to metal, the way the King V is designed makes the playing experience quite enjoyable for the person holding the instrument. The neck is designed to curve more intensively at the nut, thus making it easier to hold and maintain chord voicings, while things flatten out a bit more at the neck. This means you’ll be able to pull off low-action bends without drifting into free-falling oblivion. Combine that with a basswood body and maple neck-through body construction, you’ve got an instrument optimized for the low and dark sounds metal requires.Rating: 5/5